Walt Disney World Moving to Automated Cameras at Select Character Meet and Greets

The internet has been a buzz today with talk about how the Walt Disney World Resort is going to introduce automated cameras at some character meet and greet spots throughout the resort. Rumors have swirled about it potentially being added to the meet and greet with Tinker Bell at the Magic Kingdom and even the Adventurers Outpost at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. However, they have been only rumors….that is until I got confirmation that this is indeed going forward.

Not only did I get conformation about the new addition of automated cameras, but I also found out that nine character greeting locations would be seeing this change.

There is currently no word on where these locations officially will be, no word on when this system will be rolling out, no word on how the whole process will work…really, there’s not a lot to know. But what I do now know is that this is, indeed happening. No more rumors.

Rikki Niblett

I am a co-host of the Be Our Guest Podcast and do lots of other fun Disney stuff all around the interwebs! You can follow me on Twitter or Instagram at @RikkiNibs or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/rikkinibs

This is VERY unfortunate. One thing that separates WDW from other theme parks is their unparalleled customer service. This is a step back toward the masses.

If there’s an attendant there to help with people’s personal cameras, I guess I’m OK with it, but without that, someone from our family is going to be out of a picture. I can’t imagine the automated camera’s photo quality will be one to capture those extra “magical” moments that has been caught with our family using Photopass Photographers.

I think this is one of the consequences of the new labor contract. Disney’s labor expenses (probably their number 1 expense) is increasing by a significant percentage over the next 2 years. The price increases are part of this, and we will also likely see automation become a more affordable alternative to having a cast member doing a task.